Iceland volcano hampers students return to Germany

View full sizePeter Chen / The Post-StandardGerman exchange students (from left) Carina Ott, 17, Linda Pietsch, 17, and Anika Wilzbach, 18, who are visiting Paul V. Moore High School, in Central Square, for two weeks, take pictures of their friends while ice skating at Cicero Twin Ice Rinks. Thorben Fischer (background), 17, is also a German student. The 18 students and two teachers were supposed to fly home Monday but their flight was canceled because of ash from the volcanic eruption in Iceland that grounded all flights in Europe. They are scheduled to go home Wednesday.
Marijke Wuerz and Anika Wilzbach have been grounded by those pesky volcanic plumes, unable to return home to Germany.
So Thursday they took to the ice at the rink in Cicero Commons to help pass the time.
The teens are among the18 high school students and two teachers from Germany whose two-week trip to Central Square was extended Monday because of ash thick in Europe’s skies from Iceland’s volcano.
They arrived April 6 and 7 and attended Paul V. Moore High with teen hosts —learning a bit about what it’s like to be a high school student in the United States. The adventure also included visits to New York City and Niagara Falls.
But after two weeks, many of the German teens were eager to go home. They were set to fly out April 19 when they learned the volcanic eruption put their plans on hold.
Wednesday is the earliest they can fly out of Hancock International Airport to Germany.
“I was crying,” said Wuerz, 18. “I miss my parents.”
“I was homesick,” said Tamara Creutz, 17. “I can’t wait to get home and hug my mom and my dog.”
The teens, from the Frankfurt suburb of Roerdermark, have stayed with host families throughout the Central Square district. Each family has a Paul V. Moore student who took a visitor to class at the high school.
“It’s the first exchange we’ve done,” Paul V. Moore German teacher Melissa Hoch said. While Central Square students have yet to go to Germany, she hopes such a trip could happen.
“This has been very positive,” Hoch said. “Not only have my students done some German speaking, but they’ve learned about German culture, too. They’ve seen we’re different, but also very alike.”
Some of the students from Germany are taking these extra 10 days in Central Square in stride.
“I haven’t had any problem staying here another week,” Thorben Fischer, 17, said.
“I was happy. I want to stay here in America,” said Ines Denkel, 18.
But there have been some drawbacks.
Sebastian Fritz, 17, has only $7 left to his name. “He’s my bank now,” he said, pointing to Fischer.
The stranded teens have kept in touch with their parents via e-mail and phone calls.
“My mother was pretty scared,” Denkel said. “She doesn’t want me flying into the volcano cloud. She said it would be better to stay here.”